The Well Of Youth
by Kamiccola
Summary: Beira was no longer a goddess. They should've known that the Goddess of Creation, the Queen of Winter, wouldn't accept a punishment of mortality. Now, others will pay the price of her justice. Mythic Fantasy based on loosely interpreted Scottish legends of Beira/Cailleach. Villain POV and a backstory to The New Order of Merlin series.
1. The injustice

_Rated T for mature dialogue and a few slightly gruesome scenes later on. Blame it on the hags._

_Starting from Chapter 5, this story blends the myth of Beira with my series The New Order of Merlin. The Well of Youth is a backstory to it. __There, Beira is just an antagonist, a barely-mentioned looming threat, but her story is awesome and I wouldn't do her justice if I didn't share with you who she is and what she's really up to. She is much more than just a villain._

_ You do not need to read that story or be familiar with any of the fandoms in order to enjoy it. After all, THIS is the backstory, not the other way around. _

_But The NOOM is possibly my best writing so I do recommend it. __I will warn you before major spoilers begin._

_Happy reading, everyone!_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Despicable theft**

Blinding light and pain, not just physical but spiritual. It felt as if her soul was being ripped out of her body.

As Beira's vision came back to focus, her eyes followed the glow of magic contained within the crystal Dagda had just taken off her chest. She could still feel a part of herself contained within it.

He placed the crystal in Bryde's waiting hands and chanted, "Bryde, beloved of Angus, this power is now yours. Let it claim you, seep into you. So you may become the most you can be."

"So mote it be," Bryde said and inhaled sharply as the glow of the crystal enveloped her.

A gust of wind swept her brown hair about and a blinding light filled the room again. The air smelled of flowers and spring, as if Beira needed more reminders of who the thief was.

She squinted through the brightness, unable to take her eyes off the crystal. She felt the connection to her power break as it was given to another and wanted to scream and thrash, but she was still bound by the magic which immobilized her and made her a silent spectator to the crime they were committing.

When the glow dissipated, Bryde gave the drained crystal back to Dagda who stood by, watching her with a satisfied look on his face.

"My love," Angus said softly and leaned his forehead on Bryde's. "I can already feel your powers."

His long blonde hair framed her face like a veil but her grin was easily discernible between his locks.

"It feels divine," she responded.

Beira wanted to scream at the traitors, 'Of course, it feels divine. It's my divinity!'

The seriousness of what had just happened started to fully sink in and fill her heart with dread. They really did it. She would never have believed anyone capable of such atrocity if not for the empty feeling in her chest - blaring evidence of everything she was robbed of.

While the insufferable lovebirds cooed at each other, Dagda approached the wall where she was bound by magic. Backstabbing bastard dared to stroke her cheek like a lover.

"I hope that one day you will understand why this had to happen. You crossed the line, Cailleach."

If she could, she would have spat in his face. She hated this name he gave her and refused to acknowledge it. While it originally meant "Veiled One," people have started using it when meaning "Old Woman" and that did not describe her at all. She was eternally young and beautiful. She was the Goddess of Creation, the Ruler of Reincarnation. She was Beira, the Queen of Winter. That was the only name she would respond to.

"I enjoy this silent you," he said with a smirk and she wished she could smite him for it. "It's easier to talk to you this way."

He scratched his short beard and looked over at his son.

"Angus and his beloved will put your powers to good use. They will not be wasted."

His eyebrows knitted in worry as if he felt sorry for her. She did not want his pity!

"Farewell, Cailleach. This is the last time I, Angus or Bryde will ever see you. You are mortal now. Enjoy the rest of your life. Make the most of it."

Angus took Bryde's hand in his and they walked away, disappearing into thin air. Dagda followed but looked back one last time and waved his hand which released Beira from her invisible binds.

She stumbled but straightened herself to her full height. She refused to appear weak in front of him.

"Leave the crystal," she said firmly, careful to not let her anguish show on her face.

He smiled in a patronizing way and made the crystal float over to her.

"As you wish. It is empty now anyway."

Then he disappeared from sight, leaving her in her mountain castle alone.

Beira clutched the cold crystal and shoved it at her chest, longing to feel what was stolen from her. The sharp edges of it dug into her flesh, and she winced in pain. She was truly mortal if something so trivial could cause her discomfort.

She fell on her knees, finally overcome with despair, and moaned when that also hurt. She was powerless, weak and fragile like a mere human.

She didn't know what she was anymore but one thing was clear - Beira was no longer a goddess.

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_A/N: Do you like where this is going? Let me know. __You don't need an account to leave a review._


	2. A good omen

_Warning: hags get pretty gruesome here._

* * *

**Chapter 2: A good omen**

Beira shook the sticks within the small tubular container and threw them at her wooden table. She hated having to resort to such crude divination method, but xylomancy was the only reliable scrying which didn't require magic, only knowledge. At least that couldn't be stolen from her.

When she walked in the woods earlier to gather herbs, a branch fell right in front of her. Beira had been around long enough to never dismiss such omens. She did not like surprises and so she gathered up twigs to find out what was trying to sneak up on her.

She stared at the pattern the sticks took on and it was unmistakable - it was a sign of new life. It confused her so she set fire to them to analyze their ashes. When they finally burned, she was even more perturbed and refused to believe her interpretation.

Beira set her jaw, knowing well what she had to do. It was humiliating to have to ask a being beneath her for help but what other choice did she have?

It had been over two centuries since that unforgetful day when Bryde took everything Beira held dear. That spirit was a plague upon this land ever since she stepped her foot on it. With a wave of that white wand, she brought flowers and green grass and melted snow Beira worked so hard on. And suddenly, something shifted in magic, humans stopped giving offerings to appease Beira and instead worshipped Bryde.

What else could she do but take matters in her own hands? Bryde was a weak nature spirit, not even a minor goddess while Beira was an ancient deity, the Mother of Creation, the Ruler of Reincarnation, the Queen of Winter. She was the only one who deserved to be revered by the common folk. She was not going to take such offense to her honor.

And so she trapped Bryde and made her a servant, granting her an even lower status than her hags.

Then her love-fool traitor of a son, Angus, demanded of her to release Bryde from the servitude. No one made demands of the Goddess of Creation, and so Beira hid away Bryde deep within the mountains.

Angus whined for help to his father Dagda, a powerful ancient deity, who came and stole Beira's powers and immortality and gave them to that ungrateful spirit! This wasn't his matter. This wasn't his issue. This wasn't his land! Dagda had no right to stick his nose in Beira's business. She was dealing with the problem perfectly well on her own, protecting this land from that troublesome spirit, but Dagda did the unspeakable and attacked her.

This was uncalled for. Beira defended what was hers, she did not commit any crime, while Bryde, the most despicable viper, encroached on her territory, turned her favorite son against her and stole her divinity. It was clear who was the villain and who was the victim in this fable.

Beira pleaded with other deities to restore her immortality. It was unacceptable that it was taken away from her, but they all refused to grant her that one simple wish, pretending that they didn't want to upset the balance of nature. She knew what the reason was though - they were afraid of angering Dagda. If he dared to do that to Beira, who knew which deity he would target next.

Reduced to a mere mortal, Beira started to age and within a few decades, she was an old crone and would soon die of old age or disease if not for a little pebble - the secret to eternal youth, but like with everything that sounds too good to be true, there was a catch. She had to travel to the Well of Youth every spring, for the powers of the eternal water were short-lived and wore off as the year progressed. And so each year, she drank from the Well, became young, gradually aged, and by winter, she was an old crone again.

She had lost track of how many winters passed as she traveled to the Well and repeated the process, but no matter how bleak it all seemed, she refused to give up hope that there was a solution to her problem somewhere out there, that she could gain immortality again.

Beira knocked on Leticia's door who invited her in and gave her a respectful nod in greeting. Back in the day, all hags used to bow to her all the way down to the floor. Beira bit down her wounded pride because she knew that until she found a better solution to her situation, she would only get this courtesy. At least hags still respected her, not forgetting that she was the goddess who created them. Unlike all other beings who all too quickly let her fade into legend.

Leticia smiled, revealing crooked yellow teeth and gestured at a chair.

Beira took a seat, crossed her legs and fixed the folds of her gown while the squat gray-haired hag hobbled over.

"How may I be of service, milady?"

"Scry for me, Leticia."

Leticia grinned broadly.

"Certainly."

She went over to a crate in the corner where she rummaged through the contents. While she prepared, Beira made an effort to not look around the hole this hag regarded as her bedchamber. It was dim, dreary and smelled like a soiled chamber pot. Just being in that foul room made her wish for a bath.

Leticia came back, holding a wriggling mouse in her gnarly hands. Beira glanced at her own hands reflexively. They still looked slender and graceful since it was thankfully only summer. She was not looking forward to winter when her skin would be as wrinkly as this hag's.

"Oooh, oooh," Leticia made noises while tilting her head back and forth, observing the squirming mouse. "Good news. Good news."

Beira's spirits livened up but she remained passive, not letting the hag know that she was pleased.

"I wonder…" Leticia pulled out a small knife from a chopping block, wiped it on her unwashed apron and came back to the table where she placed the rodent right in front of Beira.

Before Beira could protest at such disgrace, Leticia stabbed the mouse and slowly sliced its abdomen, and while it was still squealing in pain, she tipped it over and watched with fascination as its innards spilled out onto the table.

"Mind the blood!" Beira objected and checked her gown for splatter.

Leticia hummed while watching the rodent squirm and waited until it kicked for the last time.

'And I thought the sticks were crude,' Beira thought to herself, watching the hag dig her long curved fingernail in mouse entrails.

Leticia stuck her tongue out while she examined the rodent. "Yes, I'm sure," she murmured and then looked Beira in the eyes with a grin.

"Congratulations are in order."

Beira groaned and Leticia chuckled.

"Ah, but milady already knew."

So it was true. She was pregnant. It was most inconvenient. As a goddess, Beira had complete control over when she would bear children, but now she was apparently as helpless to nature as a mere human. She wasn't sure who the father was. She took on a few lovers in the spring while enjoying her new maiden body. This time, they were water spirits, she would never lower herself to bed a human man. She might be powerless but she still had her dignity.

"I dared to hope I was mistaken but it isn't possible for me to be wrong."

"Certainly," Leticia inclined her head and giggled, giving Beira a wink. "Fun times have consequences."

Beira straightened up in her chair and assumed a wrathful mask, wiping the hag's smirk off. Her actions were not going to be compared to what hags considered "fun times." At least, she never had to use elixirs to lure and trick males.

Leticia cleared her throat uncomfortably and walked over to a wicker basket.

"Milady?" she offered her a loaf of dark stale bread and Beira looked at it with utter contempt.

Leticia grinned again and sat down. "If I may remind you, milady, it is a good omen. It would be prudent to keep the babe."

Then, she proceeded to break a piece of the bread and dip it in the mouse innards which were still on the table.

Beira left the hag to enjoy her snack and deliberated if it was, in fact, a good omen. Having a child meant a lot of work, although, hags could help her with that. On second thought, she wasn't sure if she trusted them to control their cravings around her young, so she would be on her own.

Still, a child could possibly offer her devotion she so badly craved. She missed the good old times when humans feared and loved her, when she heard her name spoken with reverence. She could have that again.

And thus, Beira became a mother of a half-mortal child.

* * *

Cursed beyond measure was Beira's fate, as her child did unspeakable deeds like, befouling itself several times a day or demanding food. She started to regret her decision to raise it and hags quickly offered to take the burden off her. Their constant desire to eat her child was the only reason why she kept it and not dropped it off at some human establishment to take the hardship off her hands. If they wanted it, for some reason, she wanted it too.

Beira settled on name Fooar - the same name she had given to her giant sons back in the days of power. As she saw nothing special about this child either, she did not believe it required a unique name.

Fooar was two-winters old already and had picked a nasty habit of holding on to her legs while she worked when she noticed magic for the first time.

She was digging in her trunk, looking for her favorite green veil when she pulled out the crystal Dagda had used against her. She held it in her hand and remembered the brilliant glow it held when her powers were within it. She was a victim of the greatest injustice.

"Mine," Fooar asked for it, stretching his plump hand toward the crystal.

Beira ignored the rude demand. If he couldn't ask her respectfully, then he didn't deserve for his request to even be considered. She continued searching, leaving the crystal on a table out of his reach while Fooar begged for it. Blissful silence filled the room as her son came to his senses and she finally found her veil. She reached to the table for the crystal only to find it empty.

After checking the room for where it might have fallen to, she finally found it in Fooar's hands. He sat on the stone floor, his bare legs peeking out of his gown, and turned it around in his fat fingers while his face made peculiar expressions.

She didn't know how the crystal got there but she wrenched it away from him. His face contorted into an ugly frown, his eyebrows bunched up together. Beira braced herself to hear a bout of insufferable wailing, but instead, he stretched out his hands toward her again.

"Mine!" he yelled.

She was about to yell back at him when she felt the crystal leave her hands. She watched with shock as it floated through the air to Fooar.

Beira stood up and glared at her child. He had magic! If Fooar ever exhibited any abilities, she thought it would be a water-affinity after his father, but this ability was hers. How unjust was it that while she remained mortal and powerless, her children were still able to inherit her magic? Her child was a godling when she was no longer a goddess!

Furious, she grabbed the crystal and he held on to it stubbornly.

"This magic does not belong to you," she roared at him. "It is mine!"

They both held on to the crystal while she could feel her despair claw itself into her, take hold of her heart, obscure all thought. She stopped trying to wrench it away but held on to it, wishing for it to contain once again what she had lost.

The feeling of a cold tear sliding down her cheek woke her up. She was Beira, not a common being. A goddess does not despair. A goddess acts.

"Fooar, son of Beira, let your power seep into this vessel," she said the words while they held the crystal together.

A slight glow appeared in the crystal. Disappointingly, it was nothing compared to the brilliant brightness when it held her divinity in it, but the fact that it worked was enough to lift her spirits.

Beira ripped the crystal from the boy's hands, ignored his protests and put it against her chest.

"Beira, mother of Fooar, this power is now yours. Let it claim you, seep into you. So you may become the most you can be."

She felt a warmth spread from the crystal through her hands and into her body and cried out from joy - it was magic. She had magic! The crystal was empty again and she dropped it to the ground.

Fooar stretched his chubby hands to it and stared at it, trying to make it fly but it did not budge. He cried and Beira smiled.

"At least something useful came out of you."

She held out her hand to the crystal but it didn't fly into her hands either. This perplexed her because she was sure that she had taken back Fooar's magic, she could feel it within her.

To test if she wasn't imagining it, she rummaged in her trunk for a rectangular box. She took it out and held it with care. She slowly opened the lid and stared at her most prized possession.

When she was at power, she imbued a small hammer with her creation magic to shape the land to her liking. While Bryde may have stolen her powers, she couldn't take what Beira had infused into this tool.

Beira hesitated with her hand over the hammer. It was most disappointing when she had tried to use it after the despicable crime took place. Her precious tool was useless in her hands. One needed to possess magic in order to wield it.

But she had to try now, so she took it in her trembling hand and without further hesitation, she struck the floor with it.

The floor trembled and a crack appeared where she had hit the stone, made by magic, not the impact.

One question was answered - she had magic, but it was too feeble to accomplish anything.

"You were too weak, Fooar," she complained to her son who was playing with the crystal again.

Beira held the hammer in her hand and started planning. Ever since she was robbed of her powers, she had tried everything to get them back, but her efforts were fruitless. Fooar's magic, as inadequate as it was, was the first step to regaining what she had lost. What she needed now was more powerful children.


	3. The Well of Youth

**Chapter 3: The Well of Youth**

"Feel deep into the Earth," Beira instructed mechanically and yawned. "Draw on its strength. It is the most powerful element. If you can wield it, you can be mighty."

Avice placed her hands upon the hardened soil and whined, trying to make it work.

The sound irritated Beira while she paced in front of the child, getting more impatient with every step. The girl was already seven years old and barely showed any signs of magic. She was truly the most untalented child she had ever had.

Avice whined again and Beira felt something inside her snap.

"Stop making these noises," she hissed and the girl started sobbing.

Beira took the girl's fragile shoulders and shook her.

"Whining! Always whining!"

Avice cried even harder.

"I'm sorry, mother. I'm trying. I'm really trying."

Beira had enough of this and left the room. This child was unteachable. She was wasting her time.

Avice ran into the tunnel after her.

"But mother, don't leave me."

Beira's nerves cracked. She turned around and threw a blast of freezing wind at the girl who buckled to the ground and shivered. This ought to teach her to make demands.

Beira pulled out her hammer out of her belt and tapped a wall to reveal a hidden passage.

She went outside and summoned a cold breeze to calm her frayed nerves. Avice was a complete failure. The hags noticed how displeased Beira was and already offered to take the child off her hands. If the worthless girl angered her even more, she might let them. She couldn't wait to get rid of this brat. Lesson learned - do not mate with the Forest Fae, it resulted in the worst offspring.

Beira called over her herd. The deer walked up to her and bowed in respect. They hadn't forgotten that she was their creator and protector.

"One day, I'll be able to enchant you again," she said to them softly while touching each of their heads in greeting, "and no hunter shall ever touch you. That day is coming. I'm almost there."

It had been several painfully long centuries since Beira was stripped of her divinity. While she didn't even notice it when she was a goddess, the passage of time was brutal now that she was mortal.

But she had found a way to persist. Despite Dagda's wishes for her to die a mortal death, Beira discovered two sources of eternal life.

The first was the Well of Youth, the water of which extended her life by a year - a secret she guarded against everyone, even her faithful hags. Then, there were children. Ever since she discovered that she could reclaim magic her half-mortal children were born with, she made it her mission to produce as many of them as it took for her to be powerful enough to call herself a deity again.

It was a learning process to figure out how the crystal worked but she had finally cracked the mystery of its properties. To steal magic from other beings, one would have to be as powerful deity as Dagda, a status she might never again achieve. But it required no effort to take it from her own children, as their magic was rightfully hers.

The more powerful the child, the more power she gained from it. She was surprised to find that the new magic she gained did not resemble her child's ability or even her former divine abilities. It seemed that fate had chosen to turn her into a new being - one with powers of a winter spirit. She had always favored this season and so she did not mind it. She fully embraced her fate and made it her mission to become the mightiest Spirit of Winter to ever walk this earth.

As she walked the snow-covered land, she looked at her withered hands. Taking power from her children had another advantage - it extended her life even further than the Well of Youth did. The older the child, the longer the effect lasted. And so Avice, who Beira was now convinced was a lost cause and would have to be stripped of her magic, would provide her with several winters of not having to travel to the Well.

Her name was known again - she was Dark Beira, the Queen of Winter. Humans got the lore wrong, turning her story into a silly myth explaining away the seasons.

_Come every winter, Beira traps Bryde and keeps her prisoner until the First Day of Spring, when Angus, the Summer King, frees her and awakens Spring._

What a load of goat manure. First of all, how stupid would she have to be to trap that wench and get betrayed by Angus the same exact way for hundreds of years? Second of all, humans were stupid for feeling the need to concoct a supernatural story to explain the most natural event in this world. Seasons change on their own. No godly interference is needed.

And of course, no one ever told the story of how Angus betrayed his own mother or where exactly Bryde came from. One day she was no one, the next, she was a deity. And nearly no one remembered just how much Beira had done for this world - all the lands she shaped, creatures she created, gods and goddesses she birthed or her essential duties at the Reincarnation Wheel. Other deities stopped communicating with her and she was left alone in the mortal world, cut off from divine matters as if she was never a part of it.

And so Beira was glad that her name was known once again, and to ensure humans did not forget her again, she brought them harsh winters and unforgiving storms. While that puny race continued to reinvent itself, there was a characteristic they would never lose - they didn't forget what they feared.

There was a catch in this new fate she was given. She could only use her powers during winter months and became a helpless mortal the rest of the year. She hoped that if she gathered enough of her children's powers, she would shed this limitation and maintain her magic for the rest of the year. If only she were powerful enough.

Beira reached a pond and froze the surface of it until it became as smooth as glass. She looked at her reflection and touched her face. She was a crone again, wrinkles covered her face, her skin had a bluish hue to it and her hair was white as snow. She fixed the veil over her head, tried to hide her aged face behind it and maintain a look of dignity. This appearance was only temporary. She would be young again soon and would resume searching for a mate. If only she knew what type of magical being was her best bet, she could stop this experimentation.

Come the First Day of Spring, Beira left her home within the mountain and set off on her journey. She had moved to permanently live within the tunnels of Ben Nevis, a mountain in Scotland when her castle started crumbling and her powers were too weak to fix it. Since then, she made the mountain her home and invited her faithful hags to share it. She liked the privacy it provided. Modern human civilization had a tendency to go where they shouldn't, and without having the magic to put protective wards in place, she was bound to be discovered. She hated depending on secrecy when she wanted nothing more than to be known, but it became her reality.

With time, her mountain had become popular among humans and she had to take care to seal passages to her private tunnels and caves they connected to, leaving only a few shallow ones to the puny race. Besides, once she discovered how excited they were about snow caves, she only had to create a few of those every winter and they explored the mountain less.

She arrived on the coast, boarded the little rowboat and took a look around to confirm that no hags trailed her. Seeing that no one followed, Beira rowed the boat out onto the open water and took out a small golden locket which contained a pebble. The pebble was enchanted to roll in the direction of Green Isle of the West and she used it to navigate the unforgiving sea, using the wind to help push the boat.

The floating mountain was a mystery very few knew about. Many fishermen had told tales of seeing it but never being able to reach it. That was because the island was imbued with powerful magic which allowed it to be found only by those given one of its enchanted pebbles.

Beira received the pebble as a payment from one wizard back when she was still a goddess. The wizard gave her the pebble as an offering in exchange for a favor - he wanted the power of the Water element imbued into a permanent object. Beira recognized the value of the pebble, something the wizard was ignorant of, and so she made a comparable gift. She always had a preference for winter and so she granted him a powerful eternal ice crystal to represent the water element. She did not care what he did with it. He wanted elemental power, he got it. All she cared about was that the offering was comparable in value. Little did she know how she was going to need this pebble just a couple of centuries later.

Beira navigated her boat through the twinkling mist which no wind could penetrate and finally saw the small island emerge from the fog.

She walked barefoot through the grass, for the Green Isle never saw a season other than summer, and walked over to the Well.

Wooden ladle awaited her by the stone basin into which the miraculous water continuously flowed. She scooped up the wondrous liquid and drank her fill. She didn't know if anyone else had been using the Well. Considering that this was the only day of the year when the water had this rejuvenating property and that she had not encountered a soul on this Isle in hundreds of winters she came here, she guessed that she was the only one who drank from it, the only mortal who knew of its existence.

Beira felt the magic of the water seep into her, waiting to be activated, and so she got back to her boat and made her way home.

She laid down in her bedchamber, closed her eyes and dreamt memories of divinity. This slumber always lasted an entire day and felt like the calmest rest one could take.

When she awoke the next day, she immediately ran to the tall mirror hung on her wardrobe and appreciated her looks. Even though she had seen the effects of the Well's water hundreds of times, she did not tire of being amazed by it. Yesterday, she was a wrinkly old crone, truly deserving the title of Cailleach - the old woman, but today, she was Beira again - a beautiful maiden with golden hair falling upon her shoulders in ringlets, blue eyes sparkling as the summer sky, lovely skin, and rosy cheeks. She was an embodiment of youth and beauty.

She changed from her white crone gown to the green maiden gown she usually wore in the spring and ran out to get started with a brand new chaplet of flowers. She wanted to get a head start looking for a new mate.

In the tunnel, a little girl bumped into her and looked up in awe.

"Mmmmother? You're so beautiful. How did you do that?"

"Magic, clumsy child, and watch where you're going."

She tried to leave but Avice pulled on her arm like an insufferable brat.

"But I'm hungry," she whined and Beira tried to remain calm.

"Ask the hags for something."

She started crying.

"They said they're hungry too. I don't like them. They're scary."

Beira was frustrated with how bold the hags had become. In the past, they would never dare to joke like this. She could feel that she was slowly losing their loyalty and soon they might even attempt to take the child without her consent. She needed to become more powerful as soon as possible.

"I have a new idea," Beira said. "We'll do something together."

Avice stopped crying and her green eyes became huge and round.

Beira went back to her chamber and found the crystal.

"Let's hold it together, child."

The girl looked at it with awe and Beira chanted.

"Avice, daughter of Beira, let your power seep into this vessel."

The crystal glowed and she could already feel magic in it. Avice might have been a terrible student of magic but she wasn't powerless.

"Beira, mother of Avice, this power is now yours. Let it claim you, seep into you. So you may become the most you can be."

She absorbed the power and exhaled in relief, feeling it mingle within her.

"What just happened?" Avice asked, looking at the crystal. "I feel weird."

"You just did your final magic and I will never ask you to do more."

Avice grinned, realizing that she would no longer disappoint her mother.

"I'll be the best daughter, mother. I swear."

"I'm sure you will. Now, let's take a walk outside."

"Outside?"

Beira nodded but grimaced in annoyance at the pointless question. Avice did not notice and asked another, "Together?"

Beira was fed up with questions so she took the girl's hand and led her out into the world. She waited only a moment to let the girl's eyes adjust to seeing the sun for the first time, and then, they walked.

They walked for several hours and to her credit, the girl did not complain of hunger or fatigue, enjoying her first stroll through the forest and fields, not letting go of her mother's hand.

They arrived at a nearby human establishment, where she saw human children run around in some pointless game.

"Go, play with them," Beira said and the girl giggled in glee.

She ran toward them and introduced herself. They thought she looked strange, wearing a handmade brown tunic, black old-fashioned cloak, and no shoes but they accepted her and she had the best time of her life.

Finally, children were called home by their mothers and Avice was left alone in the playground. She supposed she should go home as well so she turned to where she saw mother last.

Beira wasn't there.


	4. The game

**Chapter 4: The game**

"Clean my chamber," Beira said quietly to Hena.

The hag bowed deep.

"As you wish, oh, Dark One."

Beira watched with satisfaction as Hena obeyed. Absorbing the power of her last child restored one of her most useful divine abilities - being able to control the minds of mortals. This included hags who were very weak-willed creatures and who have now become her loyal servants, just like in the past. It felt exhilarating to have at least this one divine skill, to feel like herself again. Life was going to be so much easier now, especially since this skill wasn't encumbered by the seasons.

More winters passed and Beira had not found a new mate yet. She needed a powerful being, one she had not mated with yet. She kept a journal where she wrote down her experiments, including details of successful and unsuccessful pairings, what type of child was a result, its abilities and what she gained from it. From her findings so far, she deduced that children of elemental beings had given her the best boost of powers and so in her hunt for a mate, she now focused on elementals.

Beira walked the mountainside touched by the hand of spring and sat down in a flowery meadow. She started to weave her chaplet out of wildflowers and hummed an old tune to herself to pass the time. Her charm was irresistible. Males could sense her aura from afar, and were drawn to her unknowingly. It was a leftover of her divine presence which now she could amplify with her ability to control minds. Stronger beings were difficult to manipulate directly but even if all they felt was her charm, it was enough to attract them.

She felt magic of an elemental being approach but remained unphased, hiding her excitement that her bait had worked. His energy was around her for a while - he was observing her before he made his presence known.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone weave a chaplet," a young voice spoke above her.

"Some traditions are worth bringing back," Beira answered, not looking up from her work.

He crouched down to her level and handed her a few pink thrifts. She looked at him shyly and took the flowers, gently brushing her skin against his in the process.

"Thank you."

He was a very young male with short curly brown hair, brown eyes and an elongated face which slightly failed at looking human. She made an effort to not look at him long but from that short glance, she guessed that he was a shapeshifter and this wasn't his normal form. She managed to attract a powerful being and was excited at her luck.

She wove his flowers into the chaplet and noticed that he was watching the graceful movement of her slender fingers.

"You are really good at this," he complimented, sitting down comfortably across from her.

"I've done it before."

He picked more flowers and handed it to her one at a time. She brushed his fingers a little more on each hand-off. He did not comment but continued to supply her. She snuck a shy look at him and he grinned broadly.

"I'm Enlin," he offered.

"That's a nice name."

She appraised her chaplet - it was now long enough and could be finished.

He chuckled and rubbed his neck.

"You didn't give me your name."

She tied the two ends of the chaplet together with colorful ribbons so they would stream behind her in flashes of green, white and yellow.

"That's true."

He chuckled again and reached for it.

"May I?"

She gave it to him and he leaned to place the chaplet on her head. She shyly raised her eyes and made contact with his. His hands lingered on the flowers while framing her face but then he blushed and dropped them to rub his neck again.

"So, you mentioned a tradition?"

"Chaplets used to have several uses," she offered and looked out over the mountainside, feeling that this was a perfect angle for the gentle breeze to caress her golden locks which now mixed in with the ribbons. "They were considered to be good luck, worn as charms to protect from demons."

He stood next to her, also looking at the horizon, and snuck glances in her direction.

"What other uses?"

She bit her lip and could feel the strength of his gaze on her. She answered quietly, "It was a sign of purity, of maidenhood."

She heard him swallow loud and bit her lip again to suppress a chuckle at how easily he fell for her act.

They stood there together in silence and she felt him draw closer. Her exposed arm was just millimeters away from his and his hair stood up in response as if trying to close the distance.

"Will you tell me your name?" he asked in a deeper, quieter tone.

"What would you do to hear it?"

She played with the folds of her long gown and noticed that his eyes tracked the movement.

"What would you like, my fair maiden?"

He stood proud and tall and she resisted an urge to laugh at how comical he looked. He probably thought of himself as a young man but really, he was still a boy. No matter what, he was old enough and powerful enough and that was all that mattered.

She looked up at a nearby hill.

"I wanted to climb up there so that I could see the full view of this beautiful meadow but I'm afraid I won't make it."

"I'll carry you there!" He offered enthusiastically. "If you let me?"

She looked down shyly and played with the folds of her gown again but then bit her lip and nodded to him.

He put his arms under her legs and back and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. He started climbing the hill while grinning broadly without showing any fatigue.

"You're so strong," she commented and he blushed. "I couldn't even carry myself up this steep hill and yet you carry me with ease."

"You're light as a feather."

"I'm Bei," she said.

He grinned in response.

"That's a nice name."

They arrived to the top but he didn't put her down yet. She played with the collar of his shirt and her finger brushed his neck. He shivered.

"If you don't mind me asking," he said while looking over the meadow, "what type of being are you, Bei?"

"I'm a winter spirit, and you?"

That wasn't a complete truth but it was the easiest answer. He swallowed and nodded but didn't answer. He continued looking over the horizon and she felt a smidge of insecurity, not knowing what he was thinking about.

"Will you show me your true form?" she asked and he looked at her with wide eyes, surprised that she saw through the mask. "Yes, I know that you're a shapeshifter."

He chuckled and adjusted the grip on her legs.

"You're pretty observant. But I couldn't show you even if I wanted to."

"What does that even mean?"

"So, what is a winter spirit doing here in such nice weather?"

"What is there to do when you have to wait for your season?"

He chuckled in response.

"I suppose you're right."

They stood there a little longer, he didn't put her down the entire time and she was glad the he wasn't ready to let her go but then, his face became more serious and he recited.

_Magical meadow_

_Carries my heart's desire_

_But not my fate_

She looked at him puzzled.

"Was that poetry?"

He smiled in response but it didn't reach his eyes and she didn't understand what put him in this melancholy mood.

He sighed heavily and spoke, "If you're done here, I'll carry you down."

She didn't understand what was happening. She was sure she had his interest so why did it sound like he was about to leave? She did not give up easily though. He was a powerful being and she was determined to have him.

"I need to go, Bei," he said as he sat her down at the foot of the hill.

She very slowly released her hold on his neck and looked down to the ground, pouting.

"Will you visit me again?"

"Bei..." he sighed and rubbed his neck again.

"No one ever comes to visit me. I have no family or friends," she produced a tear which slid down her rosy cheek. "Promise me, Enlin," she looked at him through tear-filled eyes and he finally agreed.

"I promise."

He smiled at her kindly, but then, with a flash of magic, he disappeared from her view. She was careful to still appear sad because she could feel his energy around. He was invisible and was now watching her. She tried to remember what type of beings were invisible but then decided that the time would be better spent on enticing him, which he probably wanted anyway, since he lingered.

From his poetic burst, she guessed that he was a romantic fool who loved the image of the innocent maiden she portrayed, so, she called over her herd to show him just how innocent she could be. The deer bounded over obediently.

The herd leader approached her and bowed deep. She returned the gesture of respect and patted his back. Two little does hesitantly left their mothers' sides to approach her.

"Look at your youngest!" Beira cooed and scratched each doe's neck. "May you find green pastures and safety of the trees."

She felt Enlin's presence nearby so she continued with her show.

"I wish you could talk," she said with sadness in her voice, "I could use a friend right now. I met a nice young man today and thought he would stay but he left me like everyone always leaves me. And so I have only you again."

She walked among the herd and let each of them touch, sniff, even lick her hands. They were excited and honored that she allowed them.

After she felt his presence disappear, she sent them back and made her way home.

She came back to the same meadow every day and made a new fresh chaplet. And every day, she felt his presence. He was checking on her and so she made a new show of purity and grace. She danced in the breeze for him, she played with foxes and braided flowers into her hair. But it wasn't until she sang for him that he transformed himself into his not-completely-human form so that she could see him.

"You have a lovely voice, Bei," he grinned broadly. "How could I resist your call?"

She pretended to be embarrassed.

"I didn't know you were listening. I'm not a good singer."

"Nonsense," he approached. "It was so touching that the grasses that surround you were swaying to the melody. You have a natural skill of adding emotion to your voice and that is where true art lies."

And so she began her teasing game with young Enlin, making him believe that he was courting her. Another week passed and she could sense that he was finding it harder to stay away. She worried how long her youth would last and that he would notice physical changes in her appearance and so she had to take drastic measures to speed up the process.

One day, when she felt him invisibly watch her, she made her way to a small stream. She dropped her green gown, and entered the water wearing only a sheer white slip. She could feel him follow above her as she leisurely swam. She hoped he would join her but as he did not, she came out, and fully aware that her wet slip was now transparent, she laid down in the grass, looking up at the sky. She didn't have to wait long.

"You can sense whenever I'm here, can't you?" she heard his voice behind her.

She didn't answer but continued staring at the small clouds overhead, waiting for him to get the courage to approach her.

He slowly walked up and paused, seeing her like that. She knew what he saw. She was a vision of perfection, waiting to be taken.

He sat down next to her, but now, that he was so close, he seemed too shy to look at her.

"Am I not beautiful enough for you?" she said in a cracked voice, pretending that she was about to cry.

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"The opposite, Bei." He finally looked at her face and she could see the longing in his chocolate-brown eyes. "I love you with all my heart but..." he paused but she had heard enough.

She sat up and cupped his face.

"That's all it takes and that's all I want. Love," she whispered and kissed him.

And she had him. He was unable to resist her further and gave in. They made love at last and the wind sang in triumph at their union.

They laid on the bank of the stream, their bare legs entwined together, and his fingers combed her hair, tangled by the earlier swim.

"Bei," he said softly, "I need to tell you something."

"Don't," she put a finger to his lips. "Because it sounds like a goodbye and you must return to me, Enlin. Do not abandon me now."

He kissed her finger and whispered.

"There is no future for us."

"Why would you say that, my love?"

"Because of what I am. This isn't my real body, you know this. I can't stay like this for long."

"It matters not," she whispered, "what you are when you are away from me, as long as you always return, my love."

And that was all it took.

She saw him for several more weeks and made love to him every day until she was sure that she was with child. Then, she stopped coming to the meadow.

Summer came to an end, fall began and her beauty was fading. She was not a crone yet but it was clear that the youth given to her by the last child had wore off. It was going to be a while before this new child was old enough, so come spring, she would have to go back to the Well again.

One afternoon, she was gathering herbs in the woods when she felt the familiar feeling of being watched by Enlin.

She turned around and there he was. A range of emotions showed on his face but finally settled on shock.

"Bei?" he asked incredulously. "Why do you look so… Are you pregnant?"

Beira sighed in exasperation, cursing her fate for having encountered him again.

"Enlin, how have you been?"

"What happened? I couldn't find you and... " he stared at her large belly and approached. "Is this mine?" He tried to touch her belly but she smacked his hand away and he winced. "What happened to you?"

He was looking at her face, which she knew now resembled a middle-aged woman. She turned around, furious that he stared. She did not need anyone to point out how old she looked.

"Talk to me."

"You need to leave, Enlin," she said with her back to him.

"But I love you."

"You said it yourself, there's no future for us."

"But… we can make it work, Bei. Please, what happened?"

She brushed past him, heading to the closest mountain and he followed her.

"Please, talk to me. Is this my child? I deserve to know."

She wished that it was winter already so she could blast him away, but since that wasn't an option, she had to get rid of him with her words.

"You gave me a child. Thank you for that. Now, I won't be alone. Now, you may go, Enlin."

He followed her and continued begging her and even started unconvincingly threatening her on the way. It was clear that he was placing a claim on her child and she would not have that.

She finally made it to the mountain and pulled out her hammer. She smirked at him one last time and tapped the rock with her tool, revealing a tunnel. She stepped inside and said her final farewell.

"Forget about the child, Enlin. It's mine."

She walked inside the dark tunnel, knowing well that he wouldn't follow her because over the last few months she had figured out what type of being he was, and knew that an elemental like him would suffocate underground. She was free of him as long as she stayed there.


	5. More than you wished for

**Chapter 5: More than you wished for**

At the end of the shortest day of the year, Beira felt the contractions. It was the most difficult birth she ever had, and soon, she realized that she needed help. She called in Hena, who was surprised to be summoned. She had always avoided this, being perfectly able to give birth on her own, having done that thousands of times when she was a goddess and about a hundred times since she became mortal, but this time, something was different, something was wrong. While she wasn't as fragile as humans, especially not in the winter, she was still mortal and could die from childbirth, and that was something she would not accept.

The reason why she never requested hags' help before was because of their nature. She didn't know if she could trust them to not run away with her newborn, overcome by their cravings. But this time, she was desperate, so she used all mind control she could on Hena until the hag was a mere puppet.

On Moon's everlasting glow, was she in for a surprise. No wonder this birth was difficult. After many painful hours, Beira finally gave birth to not one but TWO children. In her haze and fatigue, her control of the hag slipped and she noticed Hena try to sneak out of the room with one of the children. Beira called in a freezing gust and slammed the door in her face.

"You dare?!"

Hena turned around with a broad grin, her teeth a flash of black decay.

"No wo-wo-worries, oh, Dark One. I was just g-g-g-going to wa-wa-wash the babe."

Beira demanded she brought her child back and sent the hag away. The twins were wailing, drilling a hole in her ears and she would have loved some help with them but she was too tired and in too much agony to be able to control the hags and so she was stuck with them alone.

She nursed them to sleep to shut them up, and put them in the crib, which thankfully, they were small enough to fit in together. She collapsed on her bed and froze the door to her chamber, so hags wouldn't get any ideas while she rested and looked over at the sleeping twins. They were going to be so much work and she hoped they would be worth it.

The first few days were the worst. Beira had to care for the twins alone and as feared, they were twice as much trouble as a single newborn. The only good thing she noticed was that whenever they were close to each other, they cried less and slept better, and so to avoid unnecessary wailing, she kept them together at all times. If they could comfort each other, then less work was required of her.

She picked name Elsa for the girl, it was one of the names she had used several times before but it seemed to suit her. She wasn't sure what to call the boy so she called him Fooar for now.

The twins resembled their father in some ways - his true invisible-to-mortals form, not his attempt at looking human. Their hair was white like the clouds but thankfully their skin was fair and not blue. She suspected they would possess their father's elemental gifts but she got a surprise on that front as well.

They were only a few weeks old when Elsa showed her first ability. Beira brought her to her lap to nurse her and tried to eat as well, and the little girl stuck a hand in mother's bowl. Beira would've been furious if not for the fact that the stew froze under the girl's touch. Beira was in awe. Not only, the girl showed signs of magic the youngest any of her children had, but it was winter magic, just like her's. None of her previous children had abilities like that even though they were all usually born at this time of year. Her hopes were confirmed that mating with an elemental being would produce the best results.

Beira had a lot of hopes for the twins now and couldn't wait to absorb their powers but knew that she had to be patient. She needed them to be older and more powerful which meant, yet again, years of training them. She was growing tired of the routine and had long ago lost track of years she had done this but deemed it necessary. She was so close to regaining her divine powers, she could taste it on the tip of her tongue. Maybe these twins would be the last children she needed to achieve her goal.

Spring came, Beira traveled to the Well again and came back to, what else, wailing infants. She unfortunately still didn't trust her hags who were most tempted with the young flesh, and so she had to leave the twins alone for their safety, so of course, her concern for them was rewarded with the noisiest punishment.

The last few months had been brutal on her. Before they were even born, Enlin had stalked her and tormented her any time he saw her outside, demanding to see his child. Once winter came, she could fend him off but since she didn't trust the hags, she could rarely ever leave the mountain. Now that spring came, she was powerless against him again and so she would have to stay underground until winter, guarding the children she worked so hard for.

"You brats better appreciate how much I'm sacrificing for you," she yelled at them as they cried, raising their hands to her. She fed them quickly and went into her deep slumber to rejuvenate her body.

She awoke to a room adorned with tendrils of white frost.

"Nice job, Elsa," she said to her daughter and took care of her first.

Later, she looked down at Fooar with disappointment, who blinked at her with his big blue eyes still filled with tears.

"I don't know why I even bother."

She was starting to lose hope that he would show any signs of magic but then remembered how all of her boys usually displayed their abilities later than girls and decided to wait, hoping her patience would be rewarded.

"You're lucky to have a patient mother like me."

More months passed and she refused to give the boy a proper name until he showed her some magic but his best ability seemed to be crying. Maybe their heritage was impeding it. Their father was an elemental who would be powerless underground. In fact, living here would kill him. While the twins were only half of him, and obviously could survive underground, it could be affecting them.

Until one day, she learned that the boy deceived her all this time. When he was in a fit of anger because Beira took his wooden toy and gave it to Elsa, frost built up on the floor under his hand.

"You little sneak! All these months you led me to believe your sister was creating the frost!"

Since she was a deity of her word, she decided on a name for him. The frost reminded her of Old Man Winter, Jokul Frosti, and so she called him Jokul.

She observed her children, who were now fighting for the toy and wasn't sure what to think. Two issues bothered her. Both of her children displayed winter powers. It was the first time she ever had children like that and wasn't sure what it meant as far as what type of ability she would gain from them. Would she get a boost to her winter powers from them or would some of her divine powers return? But second of all, they displayed their magic all year long. Their abilities were not encumbered by the seasons like hers and she didn't know why. With the right training, they could become more powerful than her.

She erased that thought. She wouldn't let them grow their powers to that point. She had to be careful to only nurture their winter skills and not allow them to develop other abilities which all of her children were capable of. It was then essential that they wholeheartedly believed that they were simple winter spirits. They must never find out that they were godlings.

As years passed, Beira noticed she had a definite favorite between the two. The girl was her pride and joy. She was growing great control of her powers and was an excellent student while the boy's control of his was spotty. To make matters worse, he never learned how to create anything other than frost, which was a pretty useless ability even for a real winter spirit.

When they were young, Beira read them the story of Jokul Frosti, trying to explain what a winter spirit was and mentioned that he was also known under the name Jack Frost. Elsa took a liking to the name and started calling her brother Jack, and the name somehow stuck so Beira let it be, changing his name yet again. He was more of Elsa's brother than her son anyway and so she didn't care about his name.

The older Jack got, the more he reminded her of Angus with his playfulness and trickster mentality, and that comparison made her resent him more. Would he betray her as Angus did? She considered stripping him of his powers early and getting rid of him, hags offered to help with that task as always, and the only thing that stopped her was knowing how attached Elsa was to him. The girl always clung to her brother and refused to sleep without him. He was able to calm her down whenever she was upset and was protective of her, and that was his only redeeming quality, the only reason why Beira wasn't done with him yet. She finally decided that she would have to keep them both the same length of time.

And then, he made her regret that decision.

* * *

Beira sat on her stone throne which she magically carved with her hammer and awaited her son. She was bored with this task. She had trained so many children by now, she hadn't tried to count. Her journal had all of them listed but she wasn't interested in numbers, only results.

A soft knock broke the silence and Jack walked in, hunching his shoulders, not even lifting his eyes to her.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Sit."

She pointed at the box she prepared for him and waited for him to get a move on. It bothered her that a son of hers had no dignity. At least Elsa knew how to walk proudly with her head held high like a proper child of Beira should, but this pathetic boy was an embarrassment. A slow-moving embarrassment.

"Did I say shamble like an injured sloth? Ugh. What have I done to deserve this?!"

He finally sped up and sat down in the middle of the room by the box.

"What's a sloth?"

"When will you get it in your head? No. Questions."

Why did all of her children always forget this one rule? She had no time to answer their endless questions. She just wanted this painful lesson to be over with already.

"Your sister was able to complete the task in front of you last year already. I am anxious to see how much she's improved this winter. What have you accomplished?"

He stared at his hands and she regretted asking him. What did she expect? That he was actually capable of learning something on his own?

"I learned a new trick."

She kept her face impassive but flinched on the inside. Angus loved tricks too. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through the hair of the pelt she sat on, trying to calm her nerves. Why did this boy always remind her of her traitor son? Fate couldn't be so cruel as to give her two sons like that.

"If you could not disappoint me at least once, that would be most refreshing."

He sat there dumbstruck and she wondered if the trick was making her believe that he could actually improve his skill.

"Is that what you wanted to show me? How you can sit and do nothing? That's not new. I've seen you do _that_ trick plenty of times."

Now, he stared at the ceiling and she was losing her patience. He was as boring as the gray walls they were surrounded by. She considered taking back his name, naming him Fooar again, only children who were useful deserved to have unique names, when she noticed something. White flakes fell down from the ceiling even though the room contained no snow clouds.

"Do it again."

He did and this time she approached and held out her hand to catch one flake.

"It's not snow. You're using frost?"

He was a trickster indeed, just like Angus. She went to sit back on her throne.

"You got my hopes up needlessly then. You're supposed to grow your powers, not invent new tricks."

She crossed her legs and continued her instructions.

"Let's just see how far behind your sister you are. This task is an exercise in speed and accuracy. When you lift the lid of the box in front of you, you will have to act fast as it will try to get away. Use your magic on it to catch it and kill it."

He was slow again and she was losing it. She would really love it if her children didn't need their hand held through every task. She tapped her fingers on her armrest so hard, it was a wonder it didn't crumble. He finally opened the box and stared at the thing inside as if it was a present.

"It's a butterfly," he said full of wonder.

"And you're a genius. Now, kill it."

He stared at the insect on his finger and she wondered if he forgot how to use his magic. On Moon's glow, why did she even bother with this imbecile?

"Why?"

She hoped she misheard because it sounded like he just dared to question the lesson she was giving him.

"Questions. Always questions. It's so simple, even _you_ should be able to understand. Kill. It. It would be easier if you could freeze it like your sister, but really, I don't care how. If you can only produce frost, use as much frost as you have to. Frost it until it dies."

For the first time since he entered the chamber, he looked her in the eyes and spoke confidently.

"I won't."

Brat did not just refuse. She made all this effort training him, get him to expand his puny powers and the ungrateful brat said "No." No one ever dared say that word to her!

"What did you just say?"

"I won't kill it."

It was Angus all over again. She had to put him in his place.

"Who do you think you are?" she said quietly. "What do you think you are? I did not labor all those years with you for my enjoyment. You exist to follow my directions. If not for me, you wouldn't exist at all."

He gritted his teeth and exploded, "I will not kill animals. You can't make me do it!"

She got up and hissed at him in fury, "Insufferable brat. An embarrassment to my name. I should just be done with you right here, right now. If not for your sister…"

Oh, how much she wanted to get rid of him already, but if she stripped him of his powers now, Elsa would question it. The girl had so much potential, Beira wanted to wait longer, to gain more magic out of her. No, it wasn't the time yet.

If she was stuck with him, then he had to learn how to be respectful. She wished she could bend his will, everything would have been so much easier, but a godling was much more than a hag. She decided here and now that lessons would end. He had grown as much as he could. She was wasting her time trying to get more out of him.

The longer he stared at her defiantly like that, the more like Angus he looked. Something inside her snapped, she grabbed him by his shirt and whispered, "Hags keep begging me to give you over to them. I always refuse their requests, thinking that their vile hands are unworthy of my children, but you just might be an exception."

He stared at her with a confused expression and she found it funny. Here she was threatening him with letting hags eat him but he was too dim to understand what she meant.

She leaned her head back, let out a well-earned chuckle and smoothed the wrinkles on his shirt.

"But fret not, child, it's not today. One day you will get a chance to be useful to me. In the meantime, I don't even want to see your face. Get out of my sight."

"Yes, mother."

He left, at least one command he knew how to obey, and Beira sighed in satisfaction. It was such a relief to not have to worry about him anymore. She always struggled with getting him to understand instructions and worried about his lack of progress. It was going to be so much easier to only focus on her talented child and completely ignore this waste of space.

But fate wasn't this kind to her. He proved impossible to ignore. From that day on, he fought her on every chore she gave him and proved just how much of a backstabbing son he was, trying to turn Elsa against her as well. He was truly turning into Angus. She punished him by separation, also hoping that her girl would learn how to live without him. His time was running out. She had to get rid of him soon.

She waited too long.

The twins' eleventh winter came to an end, Beira traveled to the Well, went back to her usual slumber and awoke to find hags in a frenzy.

"We d-d-didn't. I swear. We d-d-didn't," Hena pleaded with her.

"Speak some sense, hag!" Beira hissed at her.

"G-g-g-gone."

Hena trembled before her as if bracing herself for an onslaught of fury and Beira was frustrated, not knowing what she was supposed to be furious about.

Unless…

She briskly walked to the twins' chamber and found it empty.

"Where are they?"

Hena kept a distance.

"We d-d-d-don't know, oh, D-d-d-d-dark One."

Beira made a calculated step toward her, feeling heat build up inside her. She said in a controlled voice, "What do you mean, you don't know?"

Hena whimpered and Beira continued, "The last time I checked, your duty is to look after them, ensure they do not wander off into the tunnels, ensure they are safe. Are you trying to tell me that you failed in your duties?"

Hena wanted to run away but Beira kept her there with her power, making the hag flatten her face against the rough rocky surface of the floor.

"Last time my servant didn't keep to her duties, I turned her into a river. Since that is not an option right now, what do you suppose I should do with you?"

Hena whimpered. "W-w-w-we are looking, oh, Dark One. W-w-we will find them."

Hena's face was right next to Beira's feet and she had to resist an urge to kick it.

"Was it their idiot father?" Beira wondered. "But he couldn't have come underground, he needed inside help."

"Not us, oh, Dark One. We would never," Hena said from her ground position.

"That insufferable brat."

Beira directed her anger at the one she was sure was at fault - Jack. After everything she had done for him, he betrayed her just like Angus.

"I knew I waited too long. I should have gotten rid of him a long time ago. What are you still doing here? Search!" Beira spat and set off to search for her children.

* * *

_**A/N:** Fun fact. The__ above scene was Beira's POV of Jack's flashback scene from Chapter 21 of The Gathering_.

_This point is where the timeline of The NOOM __starts, and__ now, they will run concurrently. Beira is not done yet. Defeat is not an option for her._

_I do not own characters or plots from Merlin, Harry Potter, Rise of the Guardians or Frozen._


	6. The hunt

**Chapter 6: The hunt**

The search for the missing twins was fruitless. Hags combed each tunnel and cave as well as the outlining areas, but Beira's children were not within the mountain.

Beira felt powerless. If it was winter, she would have used the North Wind to find them quickly, but now, she could only rely on the crude methods of the hags.

"I have an idea, oh, Dark One," Hena offered, running over in her crooked gait.

The hag put a map on the table and brought out a small knife.

"Blood scrying, oh, Dark One."

"Get on with it," Beira hissed impatiently.

She didn't even wince as Hena cut deeply into her finger. Blood dripped onto the map and Hena chanted three times.

_Blood seeks blood. _

_Blood needs blood._

_Blood meets blood. _

Hena's gnarly hands squeezed Beira's finger to let more blood drip out and they watched as it pooled on the paper. She chanted again and the red liquid finally moved on the page, slowly advancing through the drawn valleys toward the nearest town.

"There, oh, Dark One. There."

Beira didn't waste any time but set off.

They searched the human town but found no evidence of the twins. Hena scried again, cutting another of Beira's fingers, and found that they were now elsewhere.

"Your scrying was inaccurate!" Beira bellowed and Hena dropped to the ground with pleas for forgiveness.

They travelled again and again didn't find the twins. A fresh attempt at scrying revealed that they were now even further away.

"How did they move so fast?"

A whistle sounded in the distance and Beira turned around to watch the figure of a train cut through the horizon.

Sly kids figured out how to use human transportation.

She made a mistake to let them get to this age. She was greedy, impressed with how powerful Elsa was becoming and knew that if she waited a little longer, they would give her that much more power boost, but there was a catch to that plan. The older they became, the less helpless they were, and now, though alone in a completely foreign world, they were old enough to take care of themselves and even knew how to avoid being caught.

"They'll make a mistake," Beira said to herself. "They'll get comfortable and stop moving. Then, I'll catch them."

Over the next few days, Beira tracked their movement through the country and as expected, noticed that the more time passed, the longer they stayed in one place. She sent hags after them several times but they were always unsuccessful. But she wasn't discouraged. She was patient and awaited her opportunity.

In the mid-summer, she asked Hena to scry yet again. She couldn't believe her eyes. They were still in the same town as a week ago, which was the longest they had ever stopped anywhere.

"What are you waiting for? Take two hags with you and go!"

The hags obeyed. She waited for several days and didn't understand what was taking so long. Her twins were not even very far, they came back to Scotland to a coastal town which was only a day's journey away.

She was pacing her chamber when Hena ran in, panting from the effort.

"Oh, Dark One."

"Did you bring them back?"

"We tried," Hena said, already dropping down to the floor, "but a witch has them. Her property has many wards, we cannot enter."

"A witch!" Beira hissed and Hena whimpered in fear.

Beira was furious. The hags were no match for witch's magic but it wasn't a reason to lament.

"They won't stay there forever. A day will come when they leave the witch's house. Pick a hag and set up camp nearby to watch and snatch them away when you see the opportunity. Stay there as long as you have to."

Hena whined but knew better than to object.

"I will await your raven. It better have good news."

The next few weeks filled Beira with worry. She wanted to know what the witch wanted with her children and what they were telling her right now. Would they send the witch after her? It was a smart alliance that they formed.

Beira never liked to mingle with the wizarding community, they refused to worship her in the days of her power and thought too much of themselves, so convinced of being powerful when really not having an idea of what real power was. With time, fools even forgot the might of Old Magic.

As much as she despised them, right now, she could use a witch of her own. Hags' magic was crude and limited. Her own magic was dormant until winter. She felt as powerless as a puny human.

At the end of the summer, a raven delivered a message from Hena written in messy scribbles.

_She took them to London. We follow but she never leave them alone. They stay at inn here._

Beira fumed. How hard was it to separate two children from their caretaker? She thought this was hags' specialty. Ah, but they normally didn't target wizard children, they were too scared of their superior magic. She needed to remind them that they should be scared of Beira more than that witch.

She wrote her message and handed it to the bird.

_If you don't bring back my children, I will feed you to your goat. Don't forget who I am, hag!_

At the same time, she didn't want to rely just on their puny intellect to retrieve her children and so she travelled to London to take matters into her own hands.

After another quick message exchange with a raven, during which the hag said she was following the witch and the children to the train station, Beira caught up to them.

She found the two hags, who cowered in fear upon seeing her and dropped to the ground.

"Where are they?"

"We tried, oh, Dark One. We tried!" Hena whimpered.

Beira had a bad feeling about this.

"Do not tell me that you let them get away again. WHERE ARE THEY?"

Hena pleaded from the ground. "We fo-fo-followed them through a secret passage and the passage led to a p-p-p-platform swarming with witches, and wizards, and their children, and they attacked us, oh, Dark One! Several wizards attacked us and we barely got away with our lives!"

Beira wished she had her winter powers already so she could unleash her anger upon this land. These crowded buildings, streets and all those puny little humans deserved to feel her wrath.

"Why am I cursed with such useless servants?"

Several humans stopped by to look at her, curious about the two hags who were whimpering on the ground, but when they saw her fierce look, they scurried away.

"Where did the train take them?" Beira asked, now curious why all of those witches and wizards were gathered at the train station.

"Hogwarts, oh, Dark One."

"What is that?"

"It's a school for witches and wizards."

"A school? Why would my children go to a wizarding school?" She started thinking about it and it finally dawned on her. "That witch wouldn't be stupid enough to think that my children are human?"

Hena chuckled but stopped when meeting Beira's disapproval.

"Witches are not that smart. They are notoriously bad at recognizing what's right in front of their tiny wartless noses."

"Yet, she's smarter than you since you couldn't complete your task!" she hissed and took a few long breaths to calm herself. "Where is that school?"

"It's in Scotland, oh, Dark One," Hena offered with a smile but then grimaced, "but there will be wards again. We cannot enter."

"I wouldn't want you to mess this up anyway," Beira complained.

It seemed that she would have to do this on her own. There were only several weeks left until winter. At least she knew where her children were and had plenty of time to properly plan how to get them back.

* * *

_A/N: Are you enjoying the story so far? If yes, let me know. If not, let me know why. _

_I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I need to finish posting all chapters of The New Order of Merlin: The Gathering before I can publish the next chapter of this story - major spoilers. _


	7. Raven's letter

_**MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! **__For the love of Merlin's scarf, I beg you, finish reading _The New Order of Merlin: The Gathering (book 1) _before reading this chapter. __**MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!**_

* * *

**Chapter 7: Raven's letter**

_To Hogwarts Witches and Wizards._

_I believe that your school houses two children who belong to me. I will come tomorrow to collect them. I trust you will not prevent a reunion of a mother with her children. _

_Beira._

Beira finished writing her letter and blew on the ink so it would dry faster. While waiting, she admired her slender hands.

She got back from the Well of Youth just a few days ago and so her skin was young and beautiful again. In just a day, she would be able to absorb the power of the twins and keep this youth for at least a decade.

She had never taken back magic of two children at the same time. Would her powers get an extra boost or would her youth last twice as long? She would find out soon enough.

While she felt most confident in the winter months, there were complications. If she showed up at that school as an old crone, it would be difficult to explain that she was truly the mother of the twins. Besides, she didn't know what would await her there. She could be greatly outnumbered by witches and wizards and any sort of fight could turn ugly. And so she weighed other options.

She traveled to Diagon Alley, a place where the wizarding community liked to gather, and found that they were buried in deep bureaucracies, and when it came to family matters, the issue was often simple. All she had to do was tell the wizards that her children ran away from home and they would be returned back to her. If the school refused to release them, she would use their own authorities with their measly laws against them.

And so Beira waited the whole winter, and once young and beautiful, she prepared her letter and gave it to her trusty raven to deliver.

She entered the school grounds with the help of her hammer which carved a shortcut right up to the cliff where the castle was located. The wards did not hold her back as they were not designed to prevent someone like her from entering, but she felt their strength when coming through and felt a smidge of respect for this institution.

She didn't have to look long before finding the witch to speak with. Her children sensed her presence and came without a fight. This was even easier than she thought.

She appraised the puny humans her children tried to blend in with. If the twins knew who they were, maybe they wouldn't feel the need to associate themselves with these ants, but once she was done with them, she didn't care who they associated with.

"Are you Beira Nix?" the witch asked.

Nix? Where did that come from? Was that a name her children made up for themselves? She supposed it was fitting since it meant "snow" in Latin. She was not in the mood to point out to this witch what lying sneaks her children were, and so she kept it to herself.

"Yes, you received my letter then. Let's get on with this. I don't have all day."

As the witch led them to her office, Beira felt a presence follow them. She turned to face the aura and broke through. Surprisingly, it was Old Magic, one she did not expect to find here. When she touched the mind of the one responsible, she understood.

_Merlin? How rude._

What could this puppet be doing here? Why Triple Goddess chose a human to do her bidding was a mystery. Beira didn't want to engage with him, unsure how his Goddess would react and so she let him go without a fuss. She willed him back into his body, wherever the immortal sorcerer might be hiding, and entered the office the witch invited her in, wondering what other surprises awaited her in the old castle.

At least this place was fairly civilized. The room did not smell like a hag's bedchamber although it was cluttered with unnecessary things like pictures, books or sentimental memorabilia. Humans and their possessions were pathetic.

She got comfortable, as comfortable as she could get on a rigid chair and appraised her children.

"And so here you are."

"Yes, mother," Elsa answered quietly, her eyes on the floor.

She decided to create a little scene for the witch.

"You made your mother worry," she scolded. "I did not know what happened to you. You just disappeared, didn't even leave a note. I worried that someone kidnapped you or that you got lost and needed to be rescued."

"We should've left a note," Elsa admitted, biting her lip. "I'm sorry."

Next to her, Jack raised his eyes and locked them with Beira in defiance like Angus used to. She had to get this over with.

Beira sighed and admired the smoothness of her slender hands. "Is there anything you need from me? I'd like to take my children now."

She raised her eyes to Minerva to communicate that she expected them to be handed over without a fuss.

The witch straightened up in her chair. "Mrs. Nix, you don't wish for them to finish the school year?"

Beira laughed in a melodious chuckle. Being addressed as Mrs. Snow put her in a good mood. "They don't need this… education."

She was planning to strip their memory anyway. If she simply took back their powers and left them in the human world, they could seek her in revenge. They were too old now and too resourceful. It was the only way.

"I want to stay," Jack said and Beira wanted to slap him across the face for speaking without permission.

"You will be quiet. Adults are speaking." She addressed the witch, "So, is there anything you need from me?"

The witch pursed her lips and looked between her and the twins. Was she planning something?

"We need to get the approval of the Headmaster."

Beira rolled her eyes at the predictable love of bureaucracy and waved her graceful hand in dismissal. "Get on with it then."

The witch walked up to the door where she hesitated. "Jack, would you come here for a moment?"

The boy shot up from his seat immediately, tripped on the rug and fell into her, proving yet again what an embarrassment he was.

"Sorry, I'm such a clumsy-head," he mumbled. "It's these shoes."

Elsa audibly gasped in her seat and looked at him with wide eyes.

"What is it?" the witch asked her.

Elsa cleared her throat. "No. Nothing. I just remembered something."

But it wasn't nothing. Some kind of resolve formed in the girl's eyes.

After the witch stepped out with Jack, Elsa said with trembling lips, "Will you forgive me for running away?"

Beira sighed. It did not matter whether she forgave them, but if she would blame anyone for the trouble they put her through, it would be the boy.

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered. "I… I just wanted to see the world. I wanted to know what it was like out there."

"And do you know what it is like now?"

Elsa looked back at the floor. "There are good things and bad things."

"You're not going to run again, are you?"

Elsa shook her head. "My place is with you, Mother. I know that now. I don't belong here."

"Excellent." At least one of her children had some sense.

"But Jack will not come with us."

Beira chuckled, she did not care if the boy wanted to come or not.

"We need to leave him here, Mother. He will always try to escape. He will never rest, he will always fight you."

Beira did not care about "always." She planned to strip their powers as soon as she got home.

"He's such a stubborn Gryffindor," Elsa said with a smile.

"Gryffindor?"

The word sounded distantly familiar.

"That's the name of the House he's in. The Houses are named after the founders of this school: Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw - that's my House, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin."

And Beira remembered. She heard all of those names a long time ago when she was still a goddess.

This changed everything! Beira quickly reassessed her situation and decided that she needed time to properly plan. It was liberating to realize that she didn't have to deal with the stubborn boy and could leave him behind.

Jack returned to the room and Beira knew what she had to do.

"As you wish, my dear daughter," she said sweetly and got up. She did not feel like waiting for the witch to return and so she stepped out. Elsa followed her obediently. "It's time to go."

"We're waiting for Professor Dumbledore," Jack said stubbornly.

Elsa hugged him and said her goodbyes. Their sentimentality was testing Beira's patience. She had to get the girl to learn how to move on quicker. The boy was a lost cause but maybe she could still make a proper child of Beira out of her.

Elsa finally let go of her brother and took Beira's hand.

As they walked away, Beira felt hope for the first time in centuries. This school could be the solution to all of her problems.

She led the girl to the cliff where the magical shortcut tunnel awaited. Beira had a last glance at the ancient castle before disappearing inside.

"Mother?" Elsa spoke hesitantly while they made their way through the darkness. "Will you let me come back to Hogwarts next year?"

But Beira was too lost in her daydreams to hear the question, already imagining what it would be like to be her old self again, though she only scarcely remembered it.

She could already taste it. She would finally claim back what was taken from her. She was going to be a goddess again.

* * *

_A/N: Hehe. Beira's got new plans. Hmmm. What could they be? _

_Unfortunately, I won't be able to answer this question until the plot of _Book 2 Cursed _catches up. Thank you for your patience._


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